Swords & Ribbons
by Maresia Eterna
Summary: Kaoru has given her all to kendo in middle school. Now that she is a high school student, she is decided to give her all for a new goal: getting a boyfriend. However, she has no idea how to go about attracting her yet-to-be-found love. But a chance encounter with Kenshin provides her with the opportunity she needs. There is, however, a catch: she mustn't fall in love with him.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **_Maresia Eterna_ owns nothing.  
><strong>Title: <strong>Swords & Ribbons  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Genres:<strong> Drama, Romance, Humor, Friendship.  
><strong>Authoress Note:<strong> This idea came to me after I read High School Debut and Strobe Edge for the hundredth time. The story is loosened based on both those _shojo_ manga, but I most definitely added my own touch. I can only hope you will enjoy it. I am quite happy for finally having the inspiration to write a RK story. _Rurouni Kenshin_ has always been my favorite anime, after all. Also, allow me to inform you that **English** is my **second** language, so please ignore the mistakes you may find. Thank you for your attention.  
><strong>Summary: <strong>Kamiya Kaoru has given her all to _kendo_ in middle school. Now that she is a high school student, she is decided to give her all for a new goal: getting a boyfriend and falling in love. However, she has no idea how to go about attracting her yet-to-be-found love. But a chance encounter with the popular Himura Kenshin provides her with the opportunity she needs. There is, however, a catch: she mustn't fall in love with him. Kaoru x Kenshin.

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><p><strong>Swords &amp; Ribbons<strong>

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><p><em>Prologue<em>

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><p>Why did it have to hurt so much?<p>

She had been expecting it. Ever since the beginning she had known such thing would occur. She had told herself that over and over again in a desperate attempt to accept reality. She had tried so hard to convince herself of that and yet it still hurt so much.

Her chest felt as if it was on fire. Her whole body was ablaze while her eyes stung with bitter tears. Her heart was still beating, unsteadily, painfully; a persistent reminder of how broken she felt. Her whole soul shook as it cracked under the realization that nothing would ever be the same again.

A deep breath filled her burning lungs, her insides twisting as she tried to clear her mind, and relax her spirit even if just a little. All she needed was a couple of minutes, after which she would allow herself to break down, and cry. However, she could not do that just yet. She needed to grasp what little self-control she still had because he was looking at her, watching her, and she could not show him her true feelings.

Amidst the fractured feelings that were running through her veins, consuming her limbs with a devilish speed, she forced herself to smile. It was a broken smile, but pearl white nonetheless. She needed to show him that everything was all right. It mattered not that she was falling apart right in front of him. He did not need to know it.

"I'm happy for you!" her voice did not shake or tremble, but her whole body did. Never had a smile been so forced before. Her whole face hurt, her cheeks aching in affliction, but she still kept on smiling. She needed to keep on smiling if not for her then for him.

"Kaoru..."

She did not miss the way his eyes widened slightly, and for a split of a second she wondered if he had noticed. Had he noticed the tears that were already soaking her soul, drowning all of her being in a pit of agony?

"...Thank you."

No, of course he had not noticed, but she could not blame him. Having him telling her about his newest decision was more than she could have asked for. As she thought about what his decision meant, she knew she could only be grateful for him having found the time to tell her personally.

The fact he did not know how her heart had just shattered because of his decision did not matter.

"You're welcome..." she forced herself to say, noticing on that moment how dry her throat had become. Her tongue felt like led, her pearl white smile fading into a grin before she raised her hands, and gestured as she spoke. "I have to go now, though."

"Aa, okay. I'll see you later then."

"Yes! I'll see you later!" she exclaimed, a little too loudly, but she forced herself to ignore it by twirling around on her heels. Without looking over her shoulder, she grasped the straps of her bag tighter, her smile vanishing. All she wanted was to hide in a corner, and cry her eyes out. With each new step, she could hear her heart cracking, and soon it would shatter completely, and there would be no way to fix it.

The problem was that there were too many students around her, and the crowd seemed to grow even bigger as she approached the shoe lockers. Biting her lower lip, she struggled to reach out for her own locker, but stopped midway as her eyes fell upon the hand she had raised in the air.

She was shaking.

Closing her hand into a loosened fist, she tried to regain control of her body. It would only cause trouble if she lost all of her self-control right in the middle of the school's main entrance. Besides, she had just lied to him. She had told him she needed to leave when in fact all she wanted was to run away from that place.

As she took another long, deep breath, she reached out for her shoe locker, and took less than the normal time to exchange shoes. Her best friend was saying goodbye to the members of her club somewhere at school, and everyone else was cheering over the fact they were free from Junior High. She would have celebrated too, if her chest did not feel so heavy or if her heart did not feel so lost.

Without looking at the cheerful people around her, she rushed out of school. As soon as she walked past the open gates, and noticed that she was finally all by herself, she looked up. She could not help but blink when she saw blurry clouds and a fuzzy sky. One tear rolled down her right cheek, and it was closely followed by another, and another. A painful sob escaped her lips, but she managed to keep it down by lowering her head.

More tears fell from her eyes as she stared at her shoes, her body moving, but her mind lost in thoughts. She never raised her head as she walked, and she did not even acknowledge the looks she was receiving as she walked past strangers and children. All she wanted was to get home. She needed to lock herself away from everything and everyone.

She needed to release her grief or she would most definitely explode like a bomb.

When she reached the bus stop, she rested her school bag against her legs, and stared at the ground. As seconds rolled by, she felt her shoulders drop in tiredness as memories began to consume her mind. Closing her eyes, she took deep breath, and tried to keep calm. The last thing she needed was to break down in the middle of the street.

A wind blew as she waited, its gentle caress feeling good against her skin.

It did feel good, but it offered no comfort whatsoever.

She guessed nothing would comfort her for a while...

"Stop it..." she muttered under her breath as she felt more tears rolling down her cheeks. Closing her eyes, she shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind of any thoughts.

The tears kept on falling...

"Ah, I need to stop crying..." she told herself, her voice coming out above a whisper, and she raised her right hand towards her face. Sniffling, she wiped the tears away, and felt the stickiness on her skin.

His face appeared in the darkness, and she nearly gasped as she opened her eyes wide. No, she was not going to think about him! She could not think about him!

Suddenly, a bus appeared from her left, and she watched as the doors opened. Unconsciously, she increased her grip on her bag's straps before she stepped inside the bus, noticing it was almost empty. There was an elderly lady sitting right at the front while a group of junior high students stood by the second door. As she looked away from the laughing group, she made her way towards the end of the bus, and sat down.

Immediately, she looked outside, through the window next to her. The sun was streaming in, warming her body up, but she still felt too numb to notice it. Instead, she focused her attention on the sky, but before she could get lost in her thoughts, a faint sound caught her attention.

Looking to her side, she blinked when she realized that someone else was sitting on the opposite row. For a split of a second she thought it was a woman, but as she continued to observe the person, she quickly realized it was a young man. She did not even know how she had managed to not see him; his long, bright red tresses were impossible to ignore. He was staring through the window on his side, and she could see the earphones in his ears.

As the bus moved, the sunlight reached his hair, making it look even brighter than it already was.

Shaking her head, she tore her eyes from the stranger, and gazed through the window again. A familiar garden came into view, and her heart clenched as memories filled her mind too quickly for her to stop them. They had laughed there, they had played there, they had shared secrets underneath the maple tree located right in the centre of the garden...

...She had given her heart to him underneath the falling leaves of that maple tree.

Looking down at her knees, she felt her eyes tearing up, but she refused to close them. If she moved, tears would fall, and she could not risk that. Unfortunately, moments later, she felt the bus slowing down, and she knew she would have to get up. They had reached her destination.

As she drew a shaky breath, she picked her school bag, and stood up. One single tear managed to escape from her eye, and it rolled down her cheek before she could stop it. When she raised her head to make her way towards the door, she felt her heart stop when her eyes met a pair of violet ones.

Apparently, the guy with the red hair was getting off too.

Dropping her head, she made her way as fast as she could towards the now open door of the bus. She did not dare to look behind her as she wiped the tear away. She knew he had seen her crying, and she refused to show him her weakness. It matter not that he was a complete stranger; she never showed her weak side to anyone, ever.

Suddenly, her mobile phone started ringing, and she quickly reached out for her bag. She had just grasped the phone when she placed her foot wrong as she descended from the bus. With a surprised gasp, she fell onto the ground, mobile phone flying off her hand.

That was when a foot stepped right on her phone.

There was a very awkward silence as the bus drove away, and Kaoru slowly looked up from the foot resting on top of her mobile phone. Her heart was racing against her rib cage, her eyes tearing up once again. Finally, she gazed at the person standing next to her, and saw the red haired boy, staring at the object he had just stepped on with wide purple eyes.

That was when tears began to roll down her face, her shoulders shaking as sobs abandoned her lips. Dropping her head, allowing her dark hair to conceal her face, she began to cry. The loss of her mobile was the icing on top of the cake, the switch to unleash the pain that she had managed to keep locked up in her chest until that very moment.

Raising her hands to her face, she ignored the stranger that was still standing next to her, and continued to wail. She grew unaware of the glances she was receiving from people that were passing by. She also nearly missed the small sound the red haired boy did as she continued to weep.

"...Oro?"

**To Be Continued...**

**Authoress Note:** Welcome to Swords & Ribbons. I hope you enjoyed it!


	2. There You Stand

**Disclaimer: **_Maresia Eterna_ owns nothing.

**Authoress Note:** So, here we are with the first chapter of Swords & Ribbons. I will keep my fingers crossed about this one; our favorite characters will make their debut, and I can only hope you will like it.

**Special thanks to:** _Hinata-Win_ and _kokoronagomu_ for welcoming me to the Rurouni Kenshin fandom!

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><p><strong>Chapter I<strong>

_There You Stand_

The _sakura_ petals were falling down carried away by the airstream. The ground was covered in pink, and some of the students were dancing around, completing the picture. Dark tresses waltzed with the breeze as a young woman stopped in the middle of the road to observe the branches above her head. Her black pleated skirt fluttered around her legs, her white blouse feeling cool against her skin. Unconsciously, she caressed her navy blue neckerchief.

She could easily see her new school at the end of the road. It was magnificent, its white walls standing out in the middle of the _sakura_ trees. The black gates were wide open as ecstatic students walked in, most of them wearing uniforms similar to hers.

They were all first year High School students. All of them had the chance to start over; to create new memories, and to choose their own paths.

Raising the hand that had distractedly been stroking her neckerchief, she gazed at her fingers. Her calluses stood against the paleness of her skin, and she immediately closed her hand into a hard fist. During Junior High, her mind had been completely focused on _kendo_. Well, at least, most of the time for there had been moments, small moments when her mind had been focused on something else.

Well, more like someone else...

Shaking her head, Kamiya Kaoru tried to push away the memory that was beginning to surface from the back of her mind. She was not going to think about him. She was in her new school, about to meet her new classmates, and she refused to let bad memories ruin the moment.

It was simply not worth it.

"Kaoru! Hey! Wait up!" a voice called out all of a sudden, and the dark haired girl looked over her shoulder. A slim, petite girl was running towards her, hand stuck in the air while her long braid followed her figure like an agile snake.

"Misao!" Kaoru greeted as the smaller girl finally reached her side, "I was beginning to think you'd be late."

"As if I'd be late on our first day as High School students!" Makimachi Misao said as she stuck her chest out, the school's crest almost glistening under the sunlight. "I was so excited I couldn't even sleep last night! You haven't checked the classrooms yet, have you?"

"I haven't even walked inside yet." Kaoru pointed out as she waved a hand in direction of the school, and Misao smiled widely at her. With a happy shout, Misao wrapped both her arms around Kaoru's left one, and started pulling her friend in direction of the school.

"I hope we're on the same class! I'd hate to be separated from you!" Misao confessed, a little too loudly, but no one seemed to pay her any attention. Kaoru figured all first years were too eager to begin the new school year. At least, the racket around her seemed to prove that.

"I hope we're together too." Kaoru told Misao, although Misao was no longer paying attention to her. Instead, she was staring wide-eyed at their surroundings as they walked through the open gates. Misao took them straight to the boards were the classrooms were displayed.

"Where are we? Where are we?" Misao kept on repeating the same question as she tried to scan the boards. Unfortunately, since she was rather petite, she had to keep on bouncing up and down. Smiling at her friend's antics, Kaoru also stared at the boards, silently taking in the long list of names.

"Ah, we're in class 1-C." Kaoru said as she stared at the list related to that classroom, and Misao promptly looked at the same list. Then, Kaoru turned to her, "We're together!"

"We're together! Yes!" Misao shouted as she pulled Kaoru into a bear hug, causing her to laugh at Misao's actions. Some heads turned in their direction, but most of the other students were also cheering as they realized they were with their own friends. "C'mon, we have to go to the gym!"

Oh yes, the welcoming speech...

"Ne, Kaoru, are you going to join a club?" Misao asked as older students began to emerge as they walked around the corner. It seemed as if all club members had decided to gather together by the gym's main entrance, which made sense. All new students had to go through there, which would unable them from avoiding the clubs, "The sports club, perhaps?"

"No," Kaoru responded, perhaps a little too quickly, and Misao arched an eyebrow at that. Stopping, Misao forced Kaoru to halt her movements as well.

"What do you mean _no_?" Misao asked, looking rather stunned, "You practically breathe _kendo_. It's part of your nature. Why on earth aren't you going to join the sports club?"

"Misao..."

"Oh wait; this is about _him_, isn't it?" Misao continued as she released Kaoru's arm, and gave one step backwards. "Don't tell me you're giving up your favourite thing in the world because of him. He's not worth it, Kaoru! Don't give up your dream because of a stupid, irrational a—"

"Stop it, Misao." Kaoru interrupted her friend's rant before crossing her arms against her chest. Then, she shook her head. "I'm not giving up on _kendo_ because of him. I'm giving up on it because I want to. This is High School, Misao; I finally have the chance of doing what I couldn't do back in Junior High."

Kaoru paused for a moment, the sounds around her amplifying drastically. She could hear the older students inviting the first years to join their clubs. She could hear the first years laughing and talking, the happy atmosphere contrasting greatly with the conversation she was having with Misao.

"I have a new goal," Kaoru confessed, her voice dropping, but she kept her eyes locked with Misao's. "I want to fall in love. I want a boyfriend, Misao, and _kendo_ isn't going to help me achieve that. Guys don't really like strong women, so I'm just...making a change in my life."

"So, what you're saying is that this sudden change of yours has nothing to do with _him_," Misao pressed the matter, and Kaoru nodded in response. A few seconds went by before Misao let out a sigh, "I think you're going to regret it, but fine. I'll play along."

"Misao—"

Kaoru stopped talking when a bright colour caught her attention. Twirling around, she tried to find the bright red shade she had just spotted, but failed to do so. There were way too many students around her. Besides, what were the odds?

"C'mon, we have to go inside." Misao spoke all of a sudden, and Kaoru snapped from her thoughts. Without giving her any time to speak, Misao reached out for Kaoru's wrist, and pulled her through the mass of students towards the gym.

Despite the commotion, it did not take long for all first years to gather at the centre of the gym, facing the stage. The director of the school came forward first, welcoming the new students before briefing them about the rules and what was expected of them to accomplish. Kaoru almost fell asleep. The gym was warm; everyone was quiet as they paid attention to what was being said.

"...and now I'll introduce you to the President of the Students Council, Amakusa Shōgo." the director said before stepping away from the stage. A tall, long haired man appeared from the side, and Kaoru was suddenly wide awake.

The whole gym went quiet as the President began to speak. It was not as if Kaoru was paying careful attention to what he was saying. Instead, she was mesmerized by the person that was addressing to the first years with a cool yet strong voice.

Amakusa Shōgo, one of the best _kendo_ students of all Japan, who had inclusively won the World Kendo Championship. Kaoru had always regretted not watching it, but she had been tremendously busy with her own training at the countryside with no access to television or radio.

And now she was seeing him in person. She had never realized he was a student at her High School. Could it be that there were other famous _kendo_ students in that school as well?

Suddenly, Misao, who was standing almost at the front of the line, turned her head, a smirk on her face. When Kaoru caught her eye, Misao gave her a knowing look, and Kaoru understood what she was thinking. Having Amakusa Shōgo, of all people, there could very well change her determination about giving up on _kendo_.

Shaking her head, Kaoru tried to show Misao that not even such revelation was going to change her mind. Misao simply stuck her tongue out before facing the stage again.

"...Thank you for your attention." Shōgo thanked the mass of students with a bow, and everyone also bowed in return. Kaoru had been so lost in her thoughts that she nearly missed the gesture.

As Shōgo walked away, all students suddenly started talking, and making their way out of the gym. Misao took no time in reaching Kaoru's side, the knowing smirk back on her face. Kaoru had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"So, I take it you're regretting your decision now." Misao declared, and Kaoru shook her head.

"No, I'm not." Kaoru declared, "I'm determined to do this. I won't go back to _kendo_. Besides, why are you so focused on me? Are you planning on joining a club?"

"Still thinking about it," Misao told her as they made their way towards the main building in order to reach the shoe lockers, "I think they have _jujutsu_ here, and that's something I'd definitely enjoy trying out."

"Hmm..." was all Kaoru said in response as they walked through the main doors, and searched for their shoe lockers. Theirs were a little apart, which caused Misao to walk down the corridor while Kaoru stood rather close to the front doors. As she tried to ignore the conversation she had just had with Misao about _kendo_, Kaoru reached out for her shoe locker only to stop her actions in a matter of seconds.

Last time she had opened a shoe locker, she had just been rejected by the person she liked. Of course he had not known that, but the pain did not subdue because of that. Now there she was, about to open her new shoe locker, and begin her new life in High School. In that new life of hers, there would be no bad memories of him.

With a deep breath, Kaoru finally opened the locker, and reached out for her _uwabaki_. Quickly removing her black shoes, Kaoru made the trade in a heartbeat before closing the locker again. She had just been about to go meet Misao when a shadow fell on her.

Looking over her, she saw a tall boy standing just behind her, his uniform's jacket resting on his shoulder. His neckerchief was missing. She could feel strength radiating from him, but his lanky posture made him look too casual to be taken seriously. His brown eyes were staring right at her, his arms crossed loosely against his chest.

"Ne, jou-chan, mind moving aside? I need to get my stuff." he said in a voice that was full of indolence, and Kaoru blinked several times until she finally realized he was talking to her. Without saying anything, she stepped to the side. A deep breath escaped from his nose as he crouched down in order to reach out for the locker at the bottom. "Damn locker..."

"Do I know you?" Kaoru blurted out before she could stop herself, and the boy opened his locker at same time he raised his head to look at her. "I mean...you just called me jou-chan, but I don't think we've met before."

"So what?"

"So, what if I find it disrespectful?"

"I meant no disrespect." the boy promptly told her, and Kaoru blinked as he turned to his locker, and grabbed his _uwabaki_. That was when Kaoru saw the strips his shoes had, and blinked. That guy was a second year? "Besides, you were the one standing in front of my locker."

"Well, I'm terribly sorry about that." Kaoru responded, although her voice was filled with sarcasm. The boy took his time changing shoes before he finally straightened up. Then, he turned to Kaoru, and before she knew it, he flicked her on her forehead.

"You're quite audacious for a first year, jou-chan." he commented as Kaoru let out a yelp in pain, both her hands pressing the spot he had just hit. "That's very entertaining."

"What the s–?"

"Sagara Sanosuke, are you terrorizing the first years again?" a female voice scolded from behind the tall boy. He immediately turned around, and Kaoru took the liberty to observe the newcomer. Kaoru could easily determine that she was a second year by the colour of the strips in her shoes.

"Ah, Kitsune, couldn't stay away from me, eh?" he asked, arms once again crossed against his chest, and the girl rolled her eyes. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist my charm."

"Just stop terrorizing the first years, will you?" she asked, and the boy chuckled before pointing a thumb in Kaoru's direction.

"This one's a rebel."

"Just because I'm not easily impressed, doesn't mean I'm a rebel." Kaoru declared as she glared at him, "Besides, who could possibly be scared of you?"

"Aw jou-chan, you fell victim of my charms too?"

"Kaoru!" Misao's voice echoed throughout the entrance as she raced towards her friend, "Sorry it took me so long. There were a few first years that came to talk to me, and—Oh, who's this?"

"Ah, another _kohai_."

"More like a weasel. Did you see how she ran?"

"What the hell?" Misao cursed, but Kaoru simply raised a hand in the air as she turned to her friend.

"Let's go to class." she said, but when she realized Misao was more than ready to start a fight, Kaoru rested a hand on her friend's arm. "C'mon, they're second years. You don't want to get in trouble on your first day, do you?"

"Fine..." Misao hissed under her breath, but she still glared at the two second years over her shoulder. The boy chuckled at her actions while the girl started playing with her long dark tresses. Kaoru had been just about to walk past the lockers when a figure appeared from her right, colliding with her.

With a gasp, Kaoru dropped her school bag, and nearly tripped over Misao's feet. Thankfully, a hand shooting out of nowhere grabbed her elbow, helping her find her balance. Turning her head to her side, Kaoru felt her breath get stuck in her throat when her eyes settled on long red tresses. A pair of violet eyes turned to her and memories from not too long ago flooded her mind.

Her last day as a Junior High student...

Her tears...

Her mobile phone...

"Oro?"

"I-I'm sorry!" those were Kaoru's first words as she felt the boy releasing her, his eyes slightly widened in surprise. Her heartbeat was racing against her ribcage. Although they had never seen each other again after that incident, Kaoru had been unable to bury the memory in the back of her mind. And now, as she stared right at the person that had caught her bawling her eyes out, Kaoru could not help but go completely red.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing, that I am," the boy spoke as he reached out for her school bag, and picked it up from the floor. "It seems I have a tendency of causing you trouble."

Kaoru could feel her body temperature rise tenfold as she understood that he remembered her.

"No, I...I'm the one who seems to have the tendency of dropping things in front of you." Kaoru responded, purposely ignoring the look Misao gave her. Then, she reached out for her school bag. "Thank you."

"Oi, Kenshin!"

Kaoru felt her heart skip a beat as the tall boy and the strange girl from before appeared from behind side. However, before something else could be said, the girl attached herself to the red haired boy's arm.

"Ken-san, good morning!" she greeted him with a sweet voice that made Kaoru's stomach churn. "Once again, you failed to keep in touch during summer. I guess instead of hugging you, I should be lecturing you."

"Oro?"

"C'mon, Kitsune, give him a break." the tall boy told her as she kept a mean face, her eyes locked with the boy next to her. That was the moment Misao decided to speak up.

"C'mon Kaoru, or we'll definitely be late for our first class."

"A-Ah, wait!" the red haired boy exclaimed as he raised his free hand in the air, and both Kaoru and Misao turned to him. "Can you tell me your year and class?"

"Eh? Why do you want to know that, Ken-san?" the girl still clutching to his arm asked, but the boy simply shrugged. For a moment, Kaoru pondered about the possibility of not answering, but once again Misao spoke up before she did.

"First year, class C. Her name is Kamiya Kaoru!" she said as she pointed a thumb in Kaoru's direction, "And I'm Makimachi Misao!"

With that said, Misao turned around, and Kaoru followed her. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw the tall boy and the strange girl talking to the red haired boy. His eyes, however, were looking straight at her, and she felt her cheeks burn.

Then, she turned to face Misao, and silently prayed she would never see him again.

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Opened Heart

**Disclaimer:** _Maresia Eterna_ owns absolutely nothing.  
><strong>Special Thanks To: <strong>_Winto-kun_, _Hinata-Win_, _Lolita-chi_ and _kokoronagomu_ for still sticking around, and letting me know your thoughts!

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><p><strong>Chapter II<strong>

_Opened Heart_

"Why do I have to be a Class Representative?"

"Because you are a strong and stubborn woman," Misao told her with a small smile, "And besides, most of our classmates were from our school. They know how you are when it comes to _kendo_, so they are entitled to assume you'll be the same as a Class Representative."

"But I don't want to be a Class Representative..." Kaoru weakly protested as her shoulders dropped, "I was so shocked I didn't even react. Can't I just give you the job?"

"Thank you, but no thank you. I'm completely disorganized, and I doubt I'd even last a week!" Misao told her with a chuckle, "We have far more chances with you. Besides, if you're not joining any club, then you have enough free time on your hands to be a Class Representative."

"I hate you." Kaoru groaned, and Misao smiled widely at that.

"I love you too."

Pressing a hand to her forehead, Kaoru tried to think about her schedule. It was not as if being the Class Representative was a bad thing, but she would seriously prefer not to have that responsibility. Besides, she was determined to change her life. How was she supposed to do that with all the tasks she was about to have?

"Who knows, maybe your yet-to-be-found love will be a Class Representative too!" Misao exclaimed all of a sudden as if she had just read Kaoru's mind. Stopping her tracks, Kaoru glanced wearily at her friend before shaking her head.

"Don't you even start..."

"What? I thought that was your new goal!" Misao declared as innocently as she could, and Kaoru took a deep breath through the nose, "Unless, of course, this whole thing changed your mind?"

"It didn't change my mind, but becoming Class Representative isn't going to help me." Kaoru told her, and when Misao tilted her head to the side, she continued. "I never knew what fashion was or what the newest style was because all I could think about was _kendo_. So, being the Class Representative isn't really going to help me on this..."

"Oh Kaoru, you don't have to try so hard. You're beautiful!" Misao protested, and Kaoru snorted at that.

"I'm a tomboy, Misao, so I'm definitely going to have some trouble." Kaoru observed, ignoring her friend's words. Then, her shoulders dropped even more. "In fact, I'm going to have very big troubles..."

"Kaoru..."

"Still, I won't give up!" Kaoru exclaimed as she hit her chest with a fist, a resolute expression on her face. "I'm going to do my best! There's no way I'm going to give up just because of this. I may have absolutely no idea about what I'm supposed to do, but I won't give up!"

"Excuse me."

Kaoru jumped in surprise at the unexpected voice before she looked behind her. A tall, stoic-looking boy was standing behind her. He was tremendously tall, his dark bangs covering his eyes slightly. For a moment, Kaoru just stared at him.

"Yes?"

"Are you Class Representative Kamiya Kaoru?"

"...Yes." Kaoru answered, a little less sure about what was going on. The boy had not even blinked when she introduced herself, and his eyes seemed to be looking right through her. In fact, he barely even gave Misao a second glance before speaking again.

"I'm Vice President, Shinomori Aoshi." he finally spoke, his voice filled with formality, which took Kaoru by surprise. If he was Vice President that meant he was a second year, and one year older than her. If anything, she should be the one talking formally to him, and not the other way around. "I assume you have not been informed about the meeting."

"Meeting? What meeting?" Kaoru asked as she frowned in confusion.

"The meeting that shall take place in ten minutes at the Student Council's office. I suppose I could walk you there if you wish."

"Oh, err...I..." Kaoru trailed off, and glanced sideways at her. When she noticed Misao was pretty much gawking at the Vice President, she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. As she licked her lips in apprehension, she turned to Aoshi once more. "I guess I don't have a choice in this matter."

"Shall we go, then?" Aoshi asked as he turned to his side, silently indicating they were supposed to go on the opposite direction Kaoru had taken. Struggling not to let out a sigh, Kaoru turned to Misao, and smiled at her.

"Sorry, Misao, it seems you'll have to go alone today."

"I'll wait!" Misao exclaimed all of a sudden, her widened eyes turning to Kaoru almost immediately. "I'm definitely going to wait for you! I can always go check the sports club! I want to see if they have more information on _jujutsu_!"

"Oh, okay..." Kaoru replied, but when she saw the way Misao's eyes turned to Aoshi again, who was still waiting, she chuckled. Misao would always be Misao no matter what. Without bothering to say anything else, Kaoru turned to Aoshi and nodded. However, before she could go after him, Misao grasped her hand, and pulled her backwards.

"I'd definitely trade places with you now!" she whispered into Kaoru's ear. Raising a hand to her lips, Kaoru tried to cover the smile that was threatening to grace her features before turning to her friend, and whisper back.

"It's too late now."

With that said, Kaoru turned her back to her friend, and went after the Vice President. The walk towards the office was quiet, but it was not as if Kaoru had expected anything else. Aoshi looked like the kind of person who preferred to keep to himself, which was also fine to her because she definitely did not know how pep-talk worked.

That was when a thought crossed her mind.

"You're the Vice President!" she gasped before she could restrain herself, and Aoshi's eyes glanced at her. Flushing, Kaoru struggled to regain some of her posture before continuing. "I mean, if you're the Vice President of the Student Council, then you must be close to the President, ne?"

"We are acquaintances, yes."

"Oh..." Kaoru looked down at his reply, but she nervously glanced sideways at Aoshi. He was not looking at her. Instead, he was looking ahead, not at all troubled by what she had just asked. He did not even seem slightly curious or even suspicious about her question.

"Himura," Aoshi spoke all of a sudden, and Kaoru's attention turned to what was in front of her. Her breath hitched when she spotted the red haired boy she had seen in the morning standing in the middle of the corridor.

Both her face and neck began to warm up at the sight of him as memories flooded her mind.

"Aoshi, are you coming to the meeting as well?" the red haired boy asked, and Aoshi nodded.

"Amakusa cannot be present. Therefore, I must go, and direct the meeting."

"Oh, that is good, that it is. This will definitely go smoothly with you there." as he finished speaking, his amethyst eyes turned to Kaoru. "Ah, I never got the opportunity to introduce myself; I'm Himura Kenshin."

"Kamiya Kaoru."

"Yes, I remember. From Class 1-C." he said, a small smile on his face. Kaoru blinked at his behaviour, but before she could say anything else, Aoshi turned his back to them. As he walked away, Kaoru gazed sideways at Kenshin, only to look away when she realized he was watching her.

"I believe that's the invitation for us to go, that it is. Shall we go?"

"A-Ah, yes!" Kaoru exclaimed as she turned to him, and Kenshin nodded.

At the beginning, the walk was silent, but as seconds rolled by, Kaoru grew fidgety. The sound of their footsteps echoed faintly in the corridors since most students had already left the premises. Aoshi was still walking ahead of them, never looking over his shoulder, never once attempting to strike a conversation.

Kenshin too was silent, and was staring through the windows at his side as they walked.

Taking the opportunity, Kaoru glanced at the red haired boy through the corner of her eyes. His hair stood-out as the sunlight streamed in, making the red tresses burn like fire. He was rather small for a man, only a few inches taller than herself. Weird, when they had first encountered each other, he had looked so much taller...

A faint blush tainted Kaoru's cheeks as she recalled that particular moment. She was on the ground, crying her eyes out while Kenshin stood next to her, wide eyed, without knowing what to do. Her breakdown had been outrageous, and the tears had fallen for a long time.

And Kenshin had simply stood there, by her side, unsure of what to do, but determined to not leave her side. They had been strangers then, just like they still were, but Kaoru still felt extremely embarrassed whenever she thought about it.

"I still have to pay you back."

Kaoru blinked, her memories fading away at Kenshin's words. However, before she had the opportunity to speak, they arrived at the office. Aoshi walked in first, everyone inside going silent at the presence of the Vice President. When he reached the door, Kenshin motioned for Kaoru to go in first, and she did, her mouth still parted as a question danced on her lips.

Smiling, Kenshin followed her, and silently closed the door behind him. Then, he made his way towards a desk, leaving Kaoru to sit close to a girl she had never seen before.

It was pointless to say Kaoru would not recall a single thing that had been said in the reunion afterwards.

* * *

><p>"So, what's the story between you and that <em>sempai<em>?" Misao asked as she sat cross-legged on the bed, and Kaoru let out a sigh. Placing a tray on the carpet, she sat down on the floor, legs beneath her. "You guys seemed to know each other when we met him by the shoe lockers."

"It's a long story." Kaoru said as she raised a cup of tea, and handed it to Misao. The petite girl took the cue to slide down the mattress until she was also sitting on the floor, across from Kaoru. Eagerly, she reached out for the warm tea.

"We have time. You can always tell me while we eat!" Misao said, clearly eager to know the whole story. Pausing, Kaoru picked up the plate with a slice of cake before letting out a sigh. As she picked a fork up, she turned to Misao.

"Remember that day when I told you I had dropped my phone?"

"Yeah, almost gave me a heart-attack because I couldn't reach you." Misao said with a nod as she put the cup down, and reached out for her own slice of cake. Then, she tilted her head to the side. "What about it?"

"Well...that sort of happened on our last day at Junior High..." Kaoru started to explain, her voice coming out slowly, and Misao blinked. "I was at the bus, trying really hard not to cry, and then...well, Kenshin was there too, and when I was leaving the bus, I tripped, and...he kind of stepped on my mobile phone..."

"Eh?!" Misao cried out, her eyes wide in surprise. The shock was so great that she almost let her plate slip from her hands. "You mean, you two knew each other from before, and you didn't tell me?!"

"Ah, we didn't really talk." Kaoru added quickly, a hand in the air, "He just stood there while I cried my eyes out. It was really embarrassing, and I always hoped I wouldn't see him again, so you can imagine my shock when I saw him at school. I mean, I wasn't even crying because of my phone. Well, maybe a little, but that was not even the main reason, and now I think he believes I was crying because of what happened with my phone."

"Do you think that's why he asked for your year and class?" Misao asked, obviously finding the whole situation quite interesting. Kaoru shrugged at the question.

"I don't know. I certainly hope not." putting the plate down, Kaoru covered her face with both her hands, "And now I found out he's a Student Officer, which means I'll probably see him at some of the meetings. Oh, this is awful!"

"Are you kidding me? That's great!" Misao exclaimed, and Kaoru looked at her through her fingers. "Think about it; what is there not to like in this situation? You've just met a cute guy, who, by the way, is friends with an even hotter guy! That's brilliant!"

"Misao, I'm not going to use him so that you can get closer to the Vice President." Kaoru told her friend, "You don't even know the guy!"

"Who cares? I still want to give it a try!" Misao confessed, "If he's the Vice President, then he must be super smart. I'm sure he'd help me with my grades if I asked him! And you could use this chance to get to know _sempai_."

"Misao..."

"What? Don't tell me you're scared?" Kaoru's eyebrow twitched and a smirk appeared on Misao's face. "I mean, I get it. Your heart's still a wreck, and you don't really think you're up for a thing like this. I'm just saying it could be interesting."

"I'm not scared." Kaoru said, eyes narrowed, "I just find this idea of yours completely absurd."

"Fine; if that's what you want to call it, it's fine by me." Misao shrugged as she grabbed the slice of cake with her hand, and took a bite. "I'm just saying this may be exactly what you need."

"Fine!" Kaoru exclaimed as she threw her arms in the air, "I'll talk to him! There! Are you happy now?"

"Ask me that after you put our plan in motion, and I shall tell you."

"Plan? What plan?" Kaoru asked, and when Misao suddenly started laughing rather dementedly, she blinked. "Okay, now I'm officially scared."

"Have any of my plans ever failed you?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Kaoru asked, a smirk now on her lips, "I mean, I do think I can come up with quite the list."

"Hey, don't be like that!" Misao began, but she was interrupted when someone knocked on the door. Without waiting for permission, the person outside opened the door. A boy peered inside through the opening, black hair sticking in every direction while his eyes immediately fell on Kaoru's figure.

"Hey, _busu_, dinner was just delivered." he announced, arms crossed against his chest, "You may want to make that quick or you'll find yourself without a meal."

"Dinner was just delivered? Who said we'd have take-out? It's my turn to prepare dinner." Kaoru protested, and the boy raised an eyebrow at that. From where she stood, Misao also made a face. "What? My cooking is not that bad!"

"Whatever you say, _busu_, but if you don't throw that weasel out of here soon, I'll make sure to eat all the food." the boy said before turning around, and walk away without closing the door behind him. Kaoru gritted her teeth.

"Yahiko!" she called out, but the boy simply started laughing from the other side of the house. "Damn brat, always doing stupid things!"

"C'mon Kaoru, you can't really blame him." Misao said, and when Kaoru looked angrily at her, she stuffed the rest of the cake in her mouth before reaching out for her tea. Taking a long and final sip, she stood up. "Fine, fine, I'll go."

"Seriously, my cooking isn't that bad!" Kaoru protested once again, but Misao was smart enough to keep her mouth shut. With an exasperated sigh, Kaoru also stood up from the floor, "You'll see! One day I'll make a feast, and I won't invite you!"

"I'd like to see that!" Misao said with a chuckle, and Kaoru raised a closed fist. Yelping at her friend's anger, Misao rushed down the stairs before leaving the house, yelling a goodbye as she closed the door behind her. As she felt her anger die down, Kaoru pouted.

"Really, it's not that bad!"

Suddenly, a crash echoed from the floor below, and Kaoru immediately ran towards the staircase. Narrowing her eyes, she went down the stairs as fast as she could, making her way towards the kitchen.

"Myojin Yahiko, if you broke my favourite cup, I'm going to kill you!" she shouted, and a yelp came from the kitchen. Shaking her head, Kaoru took a deep breath, ready to lecture Yahiko.

During that period of time, Misao's teasing words were the last thing on Kaoru's mind.

* * *

><p>"Look! Look! They're here!"<p>

"Oh my, he's _so_ fine!"

"I love Sagara-_sempai_ style!"

"Aw, Shinomori-_sempai_! He's so cool!"

Kaoru only had time to raise her head from the book she had bought for English class when Misao practically jumped from her chair. Without sharing a word, Misao flew towards the closest window, joining a group of female classmates that were staring outside, squealing like obsessive fan girls.

Shaking her head, Kaoru focused her attention on her book again. On the first two days she had found her classmates' actions rather puzzling; they would always go crazy whenever the second and third years crossed the garden outside. She had noticed they particularly went berserk whenever Shinomori Aoshi, Sanosuke Sagara or Amakusa Shōgo appeared. Even Himura Kenshin seemed to have a fan club of his own. However, after the first week, Kaoru had grown used to her classmates' behaviour, although she could not really understand Misao's attitude.

Misao had barely shared two words with Shinomori Aoshi, and yet she seemed completely smitten by him. Kaoru did not know if she should envy or reprimand her friend.

"Himura-_sempai_ is so cute!"

"I heard a third year confessed to him after Home Economics!"

"Oh, she had guts! Everyone knows he's unavailable!"

"She probably wasn't able to resist his cooking! Everyone knows he's an amazing chef!"

Then the group exploded in a fit of giggles as if they had just shared one big secret. Kaoru perked up at that, and her eyes went to her laughing classmates again. Before she knew what she was doing, Kaoru stood up from her seat, and made her way towards the window further away from the group.

Peering outside, she quickly found Kenshin in the middle of his friends. His hair glistened under the sunlight, causing a great contrast with his pale skin. He was listening to Sanosuke, who was gesturing quite a lot as he spoke.

Then, an idea crossed her mind.

Without wanting to give herself time to change her mind, Kaoru rushed out of the classroom. A few shouts echoed around her as she ran down the hallway, but Kaoru avoided everyone with great agility. Hopefully, she would not encounter any Student Officer on the way.

Soon enough, she reached the shoe lockers, and looked around. Kenshin's red hair caught her attention as he walked through the main doors, and Kaoru went to him as fast as she could. Parting her lips, she prepared herself to call out for him when Sanosuke appeared from out of nowhere right in front of her.

"Ah!" Kaoru shouted, unable to stop herself from crashing into Sanosuke's back. Bracing herself, she rammed right into his back, causing Sanosuke to yelp in surprise as he nearly tripped on his feet.

"What the hell?" Sanosuke cried out as he looked over his shoulder, an arm resting on the lockers next to him for support. As soon as she regained her balance, Kaoru stepped backwards, allowing for Sanosuke to spot her. "Honestly, jou-chan, what's with the surprise attack? You really shouldn't do that; I could've easily thrown you over my shoulder."

"Sorry, I was trying to get to Kenshin!" Kaoru apologized, not even noticing she had just spoken about her _sempai_ without using the proper suffix.

"Kenshin?" Sanosuke repeated as he raised an eyebrow, but before Kaoru could nod, Kenshin's head appeared from behind Sanosuke.

"You're looking for me, Kaoru-dono?"

"Yes, I need to ask you something!" Kaoru told him as she walked past Sanosuke, and Kenshin blinked at that. "Is it true that you're good at Home Economics?"

"Oro?"

"Good? Ah, jou-chan, you give this guy some dirt and some leaves, and he'll still come out with something delicious." Sanosuke spoke up as he looked down at her. Then, he tilted his head to the side, "He's also the teacher's assistant, by the way, but why do you want to know that?"

"Well, the thing is my cooking isn't exactly that...great." Kaoru confessed as she glanced at Sanosuke before turning to Kenshin again, "And I just thought that, as a way to repay for my phone, you could give me cooking lessons."

"Oro?"

"Oh, this sounds interesting!" a female voice exclaimed all of a sudden, and Kaoru watched as the girl she had first encountered on the first day of school attached herself to Kenshin's arm. "Why, Ken-san, it seems this _kohai_ is searching for a way to catch someone's attention. You know what they say; the best way to get a guy is through his stomach."

"And you know all about that, don't you, Kitsune?" Sanosuke asked with a smirk, and the girl smiled at him.

"You have no idea."

"Megumi-san, Sano," Kenshin interrupted his friends' conversation before gazing at Kaoru, "Is it true, Kaoru-dono? You want to learn how to cook because you have someone you like?"

A familiar pain stabbed her in the chest, but Kaoru managed to keep her face expressionless as she answered.

"No."

"Ah, maybe she wants to catch your eye, Ken-san!" Takani Megumi laughed as she covered her mouth with a hand, and Kaoru felt her whole face heat up at that assumption. "Oh my, that would be priceless! Why don't you do it?"

Kaoru felt her cheeks burn as Megumi continued to laugh. The smirk on Sanosuke's face did not go unnoticed either as he shifted closer to Kenshin as well. However, when she realized that Kenshin was smiling softly at her, all embarrassment died down as anger began to boil in her stomach.

Clenching her hands into tight fists, Kaoru took a deep breath.

"Oh, never mind!" she said, twirling around as she did. Megumi's laughter rang in her ears like a mocking melody, Sanosuke's chuckles teasing her beyond belief. Kaoru almost walked around the lockers when Kenshin reached out for her wrist. "Let go off me!"

"Kaoru-dono, please, calm down. They were just teasing you, that they were." Kenshin told her as he released her arm, and Kaoru twirled around so that she was once again facing him. "I would not mind helping you with your cooking."

"Just to clear this mess out, I do _not_ like anyone."

"Yes, yes."

"I don't like you that way, either. In fact, just to be clear, we don't even know each other, and even if we did..." Kaoru paused as she tried to find a proper way to express her thoughts, "Well, let's just say you're not my type."

"I would prefer if you did not fall in love with me either, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin agreed with a short nod, "It would be rather complicated if you did."

"Don't be conceited! As if I'd ever fall in love with a guy like you!" Kaoru pretty much barked at him, causing the older boy to blink at her words.

"Oro?"

"All I want is cooking lessons. Period." Kaoru stated as she crossed her arms against her chest. "Are you willing to help me out or not?"

"Well, I was thinking about giving you another mobile phone, that I was." Kenshin confessed as he pondered about the idea, and Kaoru raised an eyebrow at that. "I want to pay you back for the one I broke."

"I don't need a new phone. I'd be much happier if you taught me how to cook." Kaoru told him as she shook her head, "Let's do it like this; you teach me how to cook, and I'll consider your debt paid. Not that you actually owe me anything. I was the one who dropped the phone."

"And I was the one who stepped on it." Kenshin observed, and Kaoru shrugged before waving a hand in the air.

"Accidents happen. Besides, you did stay with me while I cried my eyes out." she said, struggling not to blush as a memory from that time surfaced in front of her eyes. "In fact, I never really thanked you for that."

"There's no need to thank me, there it isn't." Kenshin reassured her, "Are you sure the cooking lessons will suffice?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" Kaoru agreed with a vigorous nod, and a white smile graced her pale features, "Also, don't worry; I promise I won't fall in love with you."

Kenshin smiled faintly at that, and nodded.

**To Be Continued...**


End file.
